Friday

FRAMINGHAM A fire heavily damaged a Salem End Road home after a tenant delayed calling the Fire Department, officials said.

After the fire at 185 Salem End Road, building inspectors discovered the single-family, split-level home may be divided illegally into two apartments, said Mike Foley, the town building commissioner.

Video: Salem End Road fire

A fire heavily damaged a Salem End Road home after a tenant delayed calling the Fire Department, officials said.

After the fire at 185 Salem End Road, building inspectors discovered the single-family, split-level home may be divided illegally into two apartments, said Mike Foley, the town building commissioner.

"We were concerned there were two kitchens in the house," said Foley. "You had a kitchen in your typical location on the second floor and a kitchen where a family room should be."

Foley said the house also had two bathrooms and two satellite dishes mounted on the roof. Foley said the building department will speak to the owner, Reginald Barrios, who does not live there.

The home is zoned for a single family, according to town records.

The 11:30 a.m. blaze caused about $150,000 worth of damage, an amount that could have been less significant with timely reporting of the fire, Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Burns said.

"The wife called her husband instead of us," said Burns. "By the time I got here, flames were roaring out of the back of the house. We were met with heavier fire than we would have been if they called us right away."

The first firefighters arrived and found heavy smoke, but no visible fire, Burns said.

The firefighters ran a hose through the basement and soon found heavy flames coming out of windows in the rear of the house.

Burns said it took the Fire Department about 10 minutes to get the blaze under control and about another 30 minutes to knock it down completely.

"This was totally accidental," said Burns. "It looks like there was unattended cooking left on the stove."

Burns said at least three people lived in the home a husband and wife and an infant. No one was injured in the fire. Names of the renters were not available.

Foley and Burns said the house was uninhabitable last night. It could not be learned where the residents were going to stay.